A LITTLE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY, A LITTLE LESS ENABLING
By Max R. Weller
The most interesting thing about the “Terminator” movies, to me, is this great old Winchester lever-action shotgun from the latter part of the 19th Century. Otherwise, watching them is boring as can be . . .
After nine nights indoors over in Longmont, I feel refreshed and ready to camp out again in my usual spot. I’m happy to report that almost nothing was amiss this morning at either my campsite (only the critters scattering the contents of my trash bags, a minor concern) or at my spot in front of the Mexican restaurant in the 4900 block of N. Broadway (nary a single empty beer can or vodka bottle for me to pick up). Still, as I rode the SKIP bus down to University Hill, where I get off to walk across the CU campus to Norlin Library, I saw several transients I’d never seen before — one of whom stank as if he hadn’t used soap and water in a year.
Gee whiz, people, you can shower for FREE at both Boulder Shelter for the Homeless and Bridge House. FREE soap, FREE shampoo, FREE deodorant, etc. are available at BSH. For a small fee, one can also shower at the YMCA or at Boulder’s Rec Centers — if personal hygiene is more important to you than spending money on cigarettes, booze, and dope.
I’ve been “hired” as a combination dogsitter/housesitter for this Thanksgiving holiday, when my friends in our neighboring town will be visiting relatives in the East. I’ll also be housesitting this Christmas, when they’ll be gone again. Of course, my critics will still insist that I should be employed digging ditches despite being physically disabled and 59 years of age (60 in January, 2016). They give me no credit at all for declining any taxpayer-funded assistance, and for refusing to patronize the private nonprofit venues, other than BSH for my daily shower — an organization which I’ve supported these past few years by donating both hundreds in cash and paperback books I buy at King Soopers ($6 to $10 each, dozens of them in total). I figure I’ve paid for the hot water I use and the small storage locker I maintain many times over. FYI, if I could stand upright for more than an hour or two at a stretch, I’d happily apply to Walmart to work as a greeter, but then I’d be camping in Longmont rather than Boulder, and thus unable to comment here on the insanity I see around me in the latter city.
Thank you, Linda Hamilton . . .
That’s all for now; I’m headed to the grocery store for provisions.
Glad your site was in good shape today, and thanks again for your generous donation to the kids’ school!